1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agri-nanotechnology, and particularly to a method of inhibiting a plant virus using gold nanoparticles, specifically, the application of gold nanoparticles in melting and inhibiting Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) in barley.
2. Description of the Related Art
Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is mainly cultivated and used for a staple human food in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It ranks third after wheat and sorghum in grain production, and the annual yield is about 118.5 thousand tons of grain. Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is one of the most economically important viral diseases of barley, which is transmitted by aphids. BYDV is differentiated from many other plant virus diseases because it is not transmitted by rubbing (mechanical inoculation).
Nanotechnology is considered today to make substantial contributions to sustainable development by improving practices in the fields of agriculture, industry, healthcare (both human and animal), and environmental protection. The successful application of various nano-platforms in medicine under in vitro conditions has generated some interest in agri-nanotechnology. Agri-nanotechnology holds the promise of the controlled release of agrochemicals and site-targeted delivery of various macromolecules needed for improved plant disease resistance, efficient nutrient utilization, and enhanced plant growth.
At present, resistance to wheat mosaic, barley yellow dwarf, wheat streak mosaic, and wheat spindle streak (or wheat yellow mosaic) is of major importance. No single barley variety is resistant to all major diseases. Severe losses in the production, quality and safety of wheat and barley crops have resulted in a major financial distress for farmers. This is because the affected crops are often unsuitable for marketing, and so must be channeled to lower value feed markets. It has been acknowledged that breeding for the resistance to this disease is the most desirable solution, but the genetics of resistance are very complicated and difficult to manipulate. There is an immense interest in understanding the molecular processes involved in virus assembly.
Gold nanoparticle (GNP) interactions with DNA can perform antisense gene regulation via hybridization with the mRNA of interest, thereby preventing protein production. That is, the DNA gold nanoparticles bind to a target mRNA strand and prevent translation into proteins via steric inhibition of the ribosome by the gold nanoparticle. Application of nanoparticle technology in plant pathology provides new ways for crop protection. Therefore, it would be desirable to use gold nanoparticles to identify potential or possible remedies to BYDV or in the identification of resistant genes within the biological cell system to improve plant resistance against viral infection.
Thus, a method of inhibiting a plant virus using gold nanoparticles solving the aforementioned problems is desired.